On This Night
by CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur
Summary: One Yule season in Imladris, something strange awakes an elleth.


**Title:** On This Night

**Author:** Carrie (CapriceAnn Hedican-Kocur)  
**Rating: **G  
**Characters:** As I am typing this, I really have no clue who will be involved yet. All I know is that it involves Elves….  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything other than the computer that I typed this vignette with. It is not really a Christmas story per se, it just happens to take place in the middle of a winter snowstorm during their Holiday Season.  
**Notes: **This is my first Christmas fic, so please be kind to me. I am still not sure that I got anything right. I am not that familiar with some aspects of Tolkien, so forgive me if I get details wrong, and if anyone wants to help me correct them before I archive this at any other site (including my own!) PLEASE email me with how I can correct this. I realize this is most likely not how things happened, but this is how the story came to me.

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ON THIS NIGHT 

_"And it is not our part here to take thought only for a season, or for a few lives of Men, or for a passing age of the world."_

_"Few can foresee whither their road will lead them, till they come to its end."_ --J.R.R. Tolkien--

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_Dear readers, let me start of by telling you how this simple story came to be. A long time ago, in a Galaxy far, far away…NO not like that. You shouldn't automatically conjure up images of lightsabres and X-wing fighters when someone says those words. At any rate, in this case they are not quite the words that are needed, but they will suffice. This story takes place long before any of you, my dear readers, were born. There are none left alive to tell their tale so it is up to me to pass this along. To the knowledge of the general public they are not still in existence, but we all know that they are more than just Legends and Myths. But this is the story that they would want told. Here is where we join our story already in progress._

_A long time ago…in a realm far, far away…_

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A child's cry woke her from her deep reverie. She looked around, but could not find the reason for this. She saw no child, and knew that there were no small children in the city. Again, she heard the cry of a small child. Knowing that she had not dreamed hearing it this time, she got up to look out the window.

As she went to open the window she realized it had snowed during the time she had been in reverie. Leaning out the window she heard the crying again. This time she spotted movement to the far side of the Garden wall. Afraid that one of her own foolish brothers had gotten hurt out in the snow, she hurriedly closed the window and put on her robe as she left the room quietly.

Reaching the Garden she quickly found the source of the crying. A tired and worn out looking human female was holding a small child bundled in front of her.

"Please, come inside and warm up. On this night it is much to cold for a human to be outside." She said as she led the humans inside.

She took them directly to the kitchens where she got a glass of warm cocoa for the lady. As she passed it to her, she asked the woman, "Why were you out alone on this night?"

Laying her son down on a bundle near the hearth, the woman took a drink before answering the elleth. "I left our people behind. It is too hard to be there during the Yule Festivals. I..I.." she broke off a little upset by some not too distant memory.

"Are you and your son alright? I heard him crying from my room. That is what woke me." The elleth asked.

"He is fine, just cold and tired. I am both sorry and grateful that he woke you though. I was not sure how to gain your attention. But I need to continue with my story." The woman stated.

"Then, please continue." The elleth stated.

"My husband has always told me of this place before he was killed by Orcs recently. He said that if ever something were to happen to him, I was to bring our son here. That he would be safe here. Is this true?" The woman asked.

"Yes, all are safe within my Ada's realm." The elleth said as she stood up. "Come, you must be tired. I will show you to a room that your son and you may rest in, and tomorrow morning you can meet with my Ada."

Taking the two humans to a room just across the hall from her own rooms, she led them inside. "This room will work for you. If you need anything, I will be just across the hall. Just come and get me." She said as she went back to her own room.

The next thing she knew, her two brothers were waking her up by jumping on her bed. "Elladan and Elrohir, just what in all of Arda are you two ellyn doing?"

"The gifts are here, sister!" They both exclaimed as they started dragging her out of her bed.

"Sometimes I wonder about you two." She stated.

"Wonder what, sister-mine?" Elladan asked.

"Wonder if you two are really older than me or if by some Valar forsaken joke I am actually older." She said.

"Come on, the Yule presents are here." Elrohir begged his sister.

"Fine, I will go get Ada. I need to speak with him anyway." She said as she put her robe on. She left her room and walked to her father's room.

"Ada, are you in there?" She asked as she knocked on the door.

"Yes, Arwen?" Her father asked as he opened the door.

"The gifts are here, and we also had a couple of overnight guests." She said as the turned to leave.

"Who were these guests?" He asked.

"A human lady and her small son. They were exhausted and I let them stay in the room across from mine. She said that her husband told her to bring their son here if anything ever happened to him." Arwen told her father.

Realizing what had happened Elrond left his daughter standing in shock that her father had ran off from her. He did not even knock on the door, but opened it and ran in. All he saw in the room was a small boy asleep and a note on the table next to the bed. There was no one else in the room. As he picked up the note to read it, Arwen came into the room.

"Ada, where is the woman?" She asked.

"She has gone back to her people. Her name is Gilraen, and this is her son Aragorn." Elrond stated.

"How do you know this Ada?" She asked.

"She left a note." He said simply. "Not only that, but the ring she left with the note identifies him." He said as he started to read the letter to Arwen.

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_My Lord Elrond,_

_On this night of all Holy nights, please excuse the way that I have left my son in your care. It is no longer safe for him to be with me. He is the future of my people, and he needs to be protected as his father was protected before him. I gave hope to the Dúnedain; I have kept no hope for myself. Please let him grow up a normal happy child so that he may be able to face the trials that he is destined for._

_With all my love for my son, _

_Gilraen, wife of Arathorn, mother of Aragorn_

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"Should we wake him Ada?" Arwen asked.

"I will wake him." Elrond said. "Arwen, we will abide by his mother's wishes. He will have a care-free childhood. He needs to not be called by his true name until he can handle it."

"Then what will we call him Ada?" She asked.

"Since his mother gave hope to the Dúnedain, and kept none for herself, then that is what we will call him. Estel." Elrond told his daughter. "You run along to your brothers, and make sure that they have not opened all of their gifts yet."

"Gifts…oh Ada, is there any gift that we can give him?" She asked nodding to the sleeping child.

"I believe your Mother and I kept all of your brothers toys in a box in the closet if you want to give him a few things. Take your brothers, and they can help you pick them out." Elrond said as he stood up and shooed Arwen out of the room.

"Little one, it is time to wake up." He said as he lightly rubbed the boy's back.

"Mama?" The child asked sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"No, Estel. Your Mama had to go away for a while. She left you here with my family. Would you like to go open some gifts?" Elrond asked the still tired child as he picked him up and carried him from the room.

"Gifs? Sana come?" He asked.

"Yes, Estel, Santa came here with gifts for you." Elrond said as he kissed little Estel on his forehead and carried him in to meet the rest of the family.


End file.
